Former ESPN host Jemele Hill and various liberals on social media are expressing outrage over Senator Ted Cruz’s appearance as a guest on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” He joined host Rece Davis to discuss the bipartisan “Save College Sports Act,” which he helped author. Hill tweeted, “Did not know ESPN had become a political lobbying firm.”
This is quite ironic, considering Hill previously hosted a show on ESPN where she and Michael Smith frequently delved into politically charged topics, particularly around race, even promoting movements like Black Lives Matter.
ESPN once had Hill moderate a town hall in August 2016 centered on athletes and gun violence. In her discussions, she strongly defended the idea that calling for police accountability is not an attack on law enforcement. Over the years, Hill has made many controversial remarks about policing, expressing that the judicial system is fundamentally flawed and endorsing significant reforms.
Her statements extended to comparisons made by Colin Kaepernick regarding law enforcement’s historical role on plantations. After referring to Trump as a “white supremacist,” she prompted ESPN to issue a statement distancing themselves from her views.
Moreover, the network has been known for supporting Democratic policy initiatives. In 2022, Elle Duncan, another former ESPN figure, publicly criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill during a live broadcast, marking her opposition to legislation limiting discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in early education. This kind of overt political stance seems to many as a misfit in the realm of sports.
One notable incident occurred in 2023 when ESPN honored Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, during Women’s History Month, marking a clear politically divisive moment. Hill appears, perhaps, somewhat oblivious to her own hypocrisy as she aligns herself with a progressive ideology, seemingly blind to how ESPN has acted as a platform for Democratic viewpoints over the recent years.
Interestingly, in 2025, “College GameDay” invited Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro without any backlash from Hill—an absence of criticism that raises questions about her selective outrage.
In summary, regardless of personal feelings toward Cruz, his discussion on “College GameDay” regarding the issues facing college sports—like the lack of regulation concerning NIL deals and the transfer portal—does not carry the same political divisiveness that seems to characterize Hill’s and ESPN’s past actions.
It might be time for those who are protesting or complaining about Cruz’s appearance to take a step back and reassess their reactions.
